“Wheel of Fortune” contestant mistakenly insults entire Eastern Seaboard with cheesy answer

She should've just bought a vowel.

A contestant on Monday, December 30's episode of Wheel of Fortune unwittingly set off long-standing regional tensions with what is being dubbed a new all-time flub in Wheel history. When Gaelyn Nease signaled that she was ready to solve the "Food & Drink" puzzle with the available letters "NE _ / _ OR _ / _ HEESE _ A _ E," it seemed a slam dunk. Wrong.

"New York Cheese.... steak," she ventured, clearly unsure of the suffix that followed "Cheese-" in the final word. "Nope, sorry," new host Ryan Seacrest said, before passing the puzzle to Carmetta Wells, who correctly solved for "New York Cheesecake."

Related: Pat Sajak wins Emmy for final season as Wheel of Fortune host

While the city of brotherly love has the unique distinction of being a haven for cheesesteak lovers, both Philadelphia and New York boast signature cheesecake styles, so Nease can't entirely be blamed. That hasn't stopped zealous Wheel fans from lambasting the contestant from Tallahassee, Florida across social media for her mistake.

For her successful solve, Los Angeles native Wells won a trip to NYC's Conrad Downtown plus tickets to "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," a VIP experience worth $8K. Wells eventually took her $28,250 in total episode earnings to the bonus round, where she correctly solved the puzzle "I Have An Idea" to add an additional $40K.

Nease went home empty handed, but she does join the esteemed Wheel of Fortune flub club, which has added multiple new members this season. A November episode saw Connecticut's Will Jordan bizarrely solve "Give Yourself A Round Of Applause" as "Treat Yourself A Round of Sausage."

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The long-running game show recently passed 8,000 episodes on air, a milestone that few television programs of any kind can lay claim to. After all these years (Wheel debuted in 1975 and has run continuously since), things are still spicy at America's favorite game show.

Related: Chuck Woolery, Love Connection and original Wheel of Fortune host, dies at 83

Pat Sajak, the Wheel host so long-serving he's become synonymous with the show, announced his retirement in 2023. He spun his last wheel on the premiere of the new season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on Oct. 14.

American Idol host and radio anchor Ryan Seacrest filled in for Sajak beginning in September 2024, admitting that he "has some very big shoes to fill." Co-host Vanna White, who first joined Sajak in 1982, remains with the program, admitting in September, "When I heard that Pat was retiring, I thought maybe I should retire too. But I'm not ready!"

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